Our Only Hope
by kb5000
Summary: 4 months after the return from Neverland, Regina realizes they will never accept her for who she is. She will always be evil to them. Faking her death, she runs away with Hook, the one person who loves her unconditionally and truly understands how she feels. Can she keep the past away, or will it catch up in the end? Established Hooked Queen. I don't own OUaT or it's characters.
1. Prolouge: Goodbye

She sighed as she stood at the town line, staring at the orange spray-paint and using all of her strength not to cry. She lifted her gaze ahead, seeing the twisted road that veered into the trees, the dull, forest green sign with the white letters that have turned yellow from the 29 years of not being cleaned. She ran a hand through her shoulder-length, dark brown hair and sighed again, remembering why she's here. Standing at the town line, her car behind her, only her most prized possessions with her.

Ready to start her new life as Regina Jones.

Regina heard the car door swing open behind her, but she ignored it, still standing like a rock, unmoving, staring at the greens and browns that made up the forest. She felt his hand on her hip, his breath warming her neck. They stood like that for a few minutes, just staring at the unfamiliar world they'd both be entering soon enough, until he spoke up.

"Are you ready love?" He whispered in her ear, his soft voice breaking through the serene forest noise. She swung around and glance upward slightly, meeting his bright, sea-blue eyes with her chocolate brown.

"Am I doing the right thing Hook? I mean," She sighed again, it seemed to be a trend with her lately."Is it right to abandon Henry-" Cutting her off, Hook leaned in abruptly and kissed her, and she responded by kissing him back. They spent a few minutes kissing, her arms around his neck, and his hand (and hook) around her waist. When the two broke apart, he cupped her cheek with his hand, and stared right into her eyes.

"Lass, there's nothing left for us there. People are oblivious to the fact that we want to change, and shove us down the minute we try to stand," He looked back in the direction of town, then back into her rich brown orbs. "Besides, we've already done what we could to cover our tracks." She finally felt a tear slip down her cheek, thinking about how Henry would take the news, but smiled up at Hook lovingly.

He'd been the one to suggest this mad idea, stating that revenge wasn't worth it to get happiness, that they'd never be _fully_ accepted by the residents of their small, secluded Maine town. but thinking about how dis-respectively the people of Storybrooke had been treating her over the last 4 months had been what pushed her to join this crazy endeavor.

They'd come home from Neverland to find Neal (very much alive), Mulan, Aurora and Phillip in Storybrooke, having come there after Neal had healed fully from the wound he'd received from Tamara. Neal and Miss. Swan quickly grew back together and realized they were each-other's true loves. Whilst on the boat searching for Henry, She and Hook had also fallen in love, though, no one knew.

She'd gotten to see Henry occasionally throughout the quarter-year they'd been back, but the "Perfect Chaming's" were still hesitant to let her have Henry stay with her for a night.

So she got to see him for an hour, once every two weeks, under supervision.

She'd been 100% correct when she'd called them the two idiots, though, now they were three. Henry was _her son_! She had custody over him, she'd been the one to change his diapers, to feed him, to sooth him after every nightmare for the past 10 years, and yet these buffoons just stepped in and she couldn't do anything about it. Hell, _Neal _got to see him more, and yet she couldn't. The only thing keeping her alive was her relationship with Hook, and even then she was on the edge of a cliff.

Everyone got a happy ending, the two ex-villains agreed. The Charming's got their daughter, _her_ son, and a new sibling for _Mrs. Cassidy. _The "Crocodile" had a year-old daughter and a happy wife, and a large house.

Until she decided to give up.  
Or at least that's what it looks like.

She'd taken her father's body from the casket, and made the body identical to her own, right down to the scar above her lip. Faking her death was hard, but it needed to be done if she was going to start over. She'd written a suicide notice, making whoever finds her aware of why she "left".

She'd apologized to Henry in that letter.  
Who'd never know his mother was living 18 hours away in Chicago.  
Who'd never understand why she was so depressed.  
Who'd never fully realize he'd caused her so much happiness, but so much pain.

" He'll never know." She said, and he nodded.

"We're saving the lad from more pain." He replied, then the two smiled at each other longingly, happy that they _finally_ get their chance for a happy ending. Regina had blown her last one, she wouldn't let this one go to waste.

Regina and Hook finally made their way to her car, and climbed in, her driving, him in the passenger seat. He turned to her, silent as a church mouse and turning her knuckles white by gripping the steering wheel, once again staring ahead into the trees. He spoke, his voice loving and rich with emotion. "And, Regina?"

She turned to her right, meeting those blue eyes once again. She loved those eyes so much. "Yes darling?"

He grinned his goofy smile. "Just so you know," He paused for dramatics, his eyes igniting with a child-like innocence. "It's Killian."

She laughed, her eyes closing and her pearly-white teeth showing, then pressed her foot against the pedal, and drove across the orange streak, into a world, new and unfamiliar to both. Ending Regina Mills life in Storybrooke, Maine forever.


	2. Chapter 1: Discovery

_3 Weeks Later;_

Emma was concerned.

Regina hadn't shown up for a meeting with Henry twice now, and hadn't be seen by the public in weeks. It was almost like she'd fallen off the map. It stood out in Emma's mind that Regina always made it perfectly clear that Henry was _her_ son, not "Mrs. Cassidy's.", and it seemed almost scary that she'd just stop wanting to see him anymore.

So Emma was going to get to the bottom of it.

She walked through town, turning down Mifflin St. after a few minutes (one of the many benefits of living in a small town). She fiddled her engagement ring nervously, a habit she'd noticed she'd developed in the two months she'd had it. She eventually made her way up the walkway of 108 Mifflin St., and knocked on the door.

Only to have it creak open from the force of the impact which was her fist.

Her eyes widened in shock, and took her gun from her holster, and walked through the once prestigious mansion, now covered in cob-webs and heavy layers of dust. After searching every other room, she finally found herself opening the door to Henry's room, expecting to find nothing.

Imagine her surprise in finding Regina's body, fast asleep.  
Or so she thought.

She put her gun back by her hip, then approached the bed. When she shook her shoulders, and felt no movement from the brunette, her shaking hand stretched out to Regina's neck, hoping to feel _something_, even a faint 'thump' of a pulse.

She felt nothing.

She snapped back, immediately crawling away from the body, eyes wide. Her mind was reeling to find an answer. Then she sees the empty prescription bottle for anti-depressants and an envelope, a bright orange underneath a black-and-white printed notice, and a crisp, clean white, sealed in the back, one name written upon the wrinkle-free side.

_Henry_

And in that instant, she realized what had gone down here.

Regina had committed suicide.

Sitting on the carpeted floor, with her head leaning back on the river-blue walls, she pulled out her cell phone with shaky hands, and called her mother. It rang a few times, then she heard a click.

"Hi sweetheart! how's your-."

"Mom, I need you to come to Regina's house right now. Bring David and Neal too." She cut Mary-Margret off, whispering into the phone, her voice cracking on Regina's name. The term "Mom" still sounded odd on her tongue, but she felt too sick to her stomach to care.

She instantly heard the change in her mother's voice. "Is everything OK?"

She sighed. She couldn't explain this over the phone. "Just come, alright? Don't tell Henry where your going though, OK?" She knew Henry would know something was wrong if he knew she'd called her parents for help.

"Of course honey. We're on our way." She replied, then cut the line. Emma sighed again, then banged her head in her palms, thinking of Henry.

" #*%..." she muttered, only considering the pain Henry would have to endure for this loss. He was in hell for Graham and Archie, he'd be way worse off with his _mother_.Emma could only hope he'd get over it some day.

10 minutes later, She heard the front door burst open and sighed when Neal called out for her. "Upstairs!" she croaked back, her voice scratchy and horse. She heard 3 pairs of feet racing up the elaborate, carpeted stairs. She heard the door be slammed open farther than it already was, and felt a hand be placed on her shoulder.

"Emma! Are you OK? Are you hurt, do you need to go to the hospital? Are yo-" Neal stammered, patting her quickly, from her head to her toes, before she managed to cut him off.

"Neal!" He looked up, meeting her green eyes with his chocolate brown. "_Look."_ She whispered, weakly pointing to the bed which Regina laid upon. He glanced up, finally taking into account the freaking _rotting corpse _ lying 6 metres away, and his eyes widened.

"_Oh..."_ He breathed, then looked at Emma again. "Henry..." She nodded weakly, and her parents stood 10 feet away, David embracing Snow tightly, and Emma could hear her sobs rack her body, each one like a growing tidal-wave. Emma understood why, her step-mother had just _killed _herself for god sake.

And Emma could hear a small voice in her head (her conscience?) saying that it was all her fault.

"How are we going to tell him? I mean, his adopted mother's _dead!_" she stated, looking into her fiancés eyes. The word felt odd on her tongue, leaving a nauseating churning in her stomach. She felt her cheeks becoming wet at the thought of her son's agony over death, how would he react to his own mother?

He looked back and gave a brief, small smile.

"We'll find a way."

**A.N: OK, I know I'm in deep #*%.**

**About a month and a half after posting, I finally update. I'm sorry, but I started High School, went on vacation, etc... I could list a hundred reasons why, but I'm not gonna' rant and I'll just apologize. I know it's short, but I know where I want the next 2 chapters to go, and I just need to actually _write _them and we're good to go! **

**I also want to thank _everyone_ who reviewed, followed and favorited this story. It's you guys who inspired me to come back and actually FINISH this chapter.**

**Lots of Love-**

**kb5000 (: **


	3. Chapter 2: Informing

Henry was in trouble.

He knew his Mom was gonna' give him crap, but he didn't want to do his homework, so he was sitting on the couch while munching on barbeque potato chips, while watching a re-run of Criminal Minds. He had moved in with his Mom and Dad when they'd returned from Neverland, and they now lived in a small house about a block away from his Grams and Gramps, which meant he could visit whenever he wanted. It was like everyone'd finally been able to get their happy ending. He was sitting there, not wanting to get up, when he heard the front door swing open quietly.

"Henry?" Emma called, Henry noticed her voice sounded higher than usual, but he was to busy hiding the chips in the couch cushions to care. He bolted up, hoping they were buried too deeply to be seen, and swung to face Emma as she entered the room.

"I was just going to do my homework Mom, I swea-." he started, a guilty tone laced in his voice, when Emma cut him off.

"Henry...we need to talk." She croaked, and when her eyes met his, he could see grief and...was that guilt shining in her eyes? He couldn't tell because it was flickering in and out of her eyes, almost like a strobe light. He nodded, his head shaking like a bobble head. Emma pointed to the couch he'd been on moments ago, and he just plopped back down, and Emma did the same thing...and landed on the bag of chips, emanating a large _crunch._ His Mom turned around, and pulled it up from the cushions, turning it over in her hands. "Really Kid?" She asked, looking at him, and he shrugged.

But all Emma could think was how much Regina hated him eating junk-food.

"We need to talk about your Mom." She said, not taking her eyes off the wall in-front of her. He stared at her, and she couldn't look him in the eye. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a white envelope, handing it to him without moving her eyes away from the wall. "She left this for you, and remember she always loved you." She stated, her eyes taking an glazed state, and her voice kept cracking.

Wait... Did she say _left?_ Didn't she mean _gave?_ What was with the past tense?

He ripped the back open, his curiosity giving in to the temptation of an sealed envelope. He pulled out a crisp, clean letter written with his mother's elaborate, swirling script. He began to read, the words imprinting his brain.

_Dearest Henry;_

_ I want you to know that this wasn't your fault; you were a light in my life the 11 years I got to know you. I've watched you grow from the small baby I held in my arms, to the smart, intelligent boy I know and love today._

_ But I can't do this anymore._

_ I can't live with only seeing you two hours a week, with Emma or your Grandparents interjecting every two minutes with their opinions. I can't keep putting up a happy front with everyone when all I feel, is a swirling darkness inside, almost like a black-hole, absorbing parts of me every time I breath. I can't keep acting like I'm OK, when I'm not. _

_ So I'm going to kill myself. (Granted, when you read this; I'll already be dead when you read this)_

_ Tell Mrs. Swan that you're allergic to Soy, and not to give you to many sweets. Don't let this get you down; Know I will always love you, and I want you to stay strong. I'll see you again someday, and I can't wait for that day to come sweetheart. I'll be counting._

_ Your Mother;  
Regina_

_ P.S: I hope you won't remember me as the Evil Queen._

Henry felt his eyes water, and he reached for Emma, his tears turning into full-out sobs. "NO! No...She couldn't...She _wouldn't..._Mom..._Mommy come back!" _He sobbed, his cries filling the house. He clutched to his mom, clinging to her with a death grip. '_You're not the Evil Queen, I couldn't see it then, but I see it now.' _He thought, his mind repeating the phrase over and over again, until it became a clutch, something to rely on.

Emma sat there with him, rubbing his back, and soothing his sorrow as he grieved. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but Emma knew he was strong enough to continue on.

"It's OK kid," She soothed. "It'll be hard, but everything will be OK."

**A.N: OK, I officially love all of you.**

**Maybe an hour after I posted yesterday's chapter, while I was trying to sleep, My IPod wouldn't stop sending notifications from Gmail because all of you were leaving so many wonderful reviews!(I loved staying up to read all of them, btw :) And since I had a little bit of extra time today, after homework; I decided I would come and type up a new chapter, just for you!**

**Also, just to answer a popular question, I know you all want more Regina & Hook (I want it too (;) but I want to write one more chapter before we get to that; I may toss a bit of HookedQueen if it's too short ;) **

**I hope you enjoyed! Tell me what you thought in a review! Keep me up please?**

**Lots of Love,**

**kb5000 (:**


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